Freesat has once again managed to ruffle the feathers of some of its users, by stripping another key feature from its mobile app.
The subscription-free satellite platform rolled out a new version of its smartphone app in June 2025, bringing a fancy fresh design but binning the ability to remote control Freesat boxes – and this comes just one year after they scrapped the popular remote recording function.
The move has left some users baffled about the point of having the app at all now, with frustrated comments piling up on social media and app store reviews.
A Year of Changes: The Remote Recording Saga
This latest update lands exactly one year after Freesat’s controversial decision to kill off the remote recording feature from its mobile apps on both iOS and Android.
That change, which kicked in during mid-June 2024, meant you could no longer set recordings on your Freesat set-top box using your smartphone or tablet – a feature that had been part and parcel of the Freesat mobile experience for years.
At the time, Freesat blamed the removal on “a change to our internal systems” and specifically pointed to the scrapping of Freesat ID accounts.
With those IDs gone, there was simply no way to connect the app with your Freesat box to set recordings remotely.
The company tried to calm the waters by reminding everyone they could still record shows on their Freesat Boxes – as long as they did it the old-fashioned way via the box’s actual remote.
But this was cold comfort for users who had come to rely on the convenience of remote recording, allowing them to set recordings while out and about or when they suddenly remembered a show they didn’t want to miss.
New Update: Remote Control Now Gone
Fast forward a year, and Freesat has now taken away another significant feature – the ability to use the app as a remote control for Freesat boxes.
Unlike the remote recording feature (which worked on both old and shiny new 4K Freesat boxes before getting the chop), the remote control functionality that’s now been binned actually never worked on the newer boxes.
It only functioned with the older Humax Freesat boxes, such as the Humax HDR-1000S, 1010S, 1100S, and HB-1000S models.
However, plenty of Freesat users still rely on these older boxes – even though they’ve lost other bits and bobs over the years, such as support for apps like ITV Hub / ITVX.
For these loyal users, the removal of the remote control feature is yet another frustrating feature removal.
For some nostalgia, here’s everything the Freesat app used to support:
Freesat made no mention of the removal on their app marketing posts, but when pressed about the change on social media, Freesat’s response was brief:
“The new app doesn’t have the remote control feature anymore and serves as a guide to what’s available on Freesat, with quick access to on demand services as well as what’s currently live.”
What’s Left in the New App?
At this point, the new Freesat app looks like it’s basically copied the long-running Freeview mobile app – just with the Freesat TV Guide instead of Freeview.
This makes sense, with Everyone TV now owning and operating both Freeview and Freesat (and Freely).
As with the Freeview app, you can’t actually watch anything directly via the app – it’s mostly just an informational tool that then boots you over to the relevant streaming app (BBC iPlayer, ITVX, etc.) if you’ve got that installed on your phone.
The app now offers features like browsing free-to-air channels, viewing the Freesat TV guide, setting reminders, and accessing on-demand content from apps like BBC iPlayer and ITVX.
Users Express Their Frustration
As you might expect, the update has not gone down well with Humax box owners.
Karl, a disappointed user, didn’t mince his words on the Google Play store: “Now utterly and completely useless. Last year they took away the remote connect and record, and now with the new version you can’t even connect to the tv to allow you to select channels.”
He continued: “The app was updated to take away remote control of my Humax Freesat box, so I can’t change channels, turn the volume up or down or see recordings. That has nothing to do with IDs and remote service, it’s on my home WiFi network.”
Chris, another user, reflected on how the app has gone downhill: “This was a great app at one time, enabling you to change channels, view your recordings and record a programme remotely, and more. Now, it just shows you what’s on, which isn’t totally useless.”
Some savvy commenters have even urged people not to update the app to the new version on their phones as a way to keep the old functionality alive – although this approach isn’t without its risks, as security updates and other important fixes are often bundled with app updates.
Freesat’s Uncertain Future
These changes to the Freesat app come at a particularly wobbly time for the platform, which serves around 1 million homes across the UK.
As we reported last year, Freesat is facing serious challenges in an increasingly streaming-dominated market. Its fate is tied to Sky’s decisions, as both use satellites operated by SES.
If Sky decides to ditch satellite services in favour of streaming platforms like Sky Glass and Sky Stream, it could make maintaining the satellite infrastructure eye-wateringly expensive for Freesat to manage on its own.
However, there was a glimmer of hope in October 2024. Sky extended its satellite deal until 2029, throwing a lifeline to Sky Q users across the UK. This extension matters for Freesat too, since it piggybacks on the same satellite infrastructure as Sky to deliver free-to-air channels.
The extension gives Freesat a bit of breathing space. It suggests that the satellite infrastructure will stay viable until at least 2029, giving these services more time to plan ahead and potentially shift to internet-based delivery methods (such as Freely).
An Ofcom report suggested that decisions about Freesat’s future should ideally be made by 2025/26.
Options on the table include using Freesat as a basic “nightlight” service (with a shorter list of ‘essential’ channels) during the transition from broadcast to broadband-based distribution, or potentially phasing it out completely in favour of streaming alternatives like the Freely service.
For now, Freesat users must get used to life without the remote control feature, just as they had to adapt to the loss of remote recording last year.
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If I buy a television model in France which has freely in England will it have freely in France?
No one in French shops have heard of freely and I have no idea what to do as I need a new television but only with freely. Do I need to buy from England or will a french television Hisense Panasonic etc have freely. Is it in all televisions but the french don’t know?